The Aurora prize

Born in Gyumri, Armenia in 1987, composer, singer and musician Tigran Hamasyan is as comfortable with jazz as he is with Armenian folk music. Only three years after he began playing piano, he won the Montreux Jazz Festival’s piano competition at the age of 16. He released his debut album at the age of 18, after moving to Los Angeles with his family. He later returned to Armenia, where he taught master classes and found inspiration in his beloved Armenian music.

“The word ‘Armenia’ had a most sacred connotation in our extended family. It was as though we grew up in its shadow. It was a word that encompassed our entire life to the core of its very essence,” says New York-based actress Nora Armani. “Every time I visit Armenia I feel revitalized, my homeland strengthens me. I am multilingual and I perform in many languages, including English, French, Arabic, Italian, Turkish and even Russian, but it is essential to have the opportunity to perform in Armenian; visiting Armenia offers me the exceptional opportunity to perform and live in my mother tongue.”

The meeting place is always the same – the Ara Сafé in the heart of Istanbul. As the owner slowly makes the rounds, even the regulars fall silent and contemplate the legendary figure. Ara Güler is one of the most accomplished documentary photographers of the 20th century and the founder of photojournalism in Turkey. His photographic legacy amounts to over two million stories told.

Maya and Nare travel together for forty minutes; in step with time but in different directions. They have appeared on different sides of the same story. It’s the same home in Sebastia (now the town of Sivas in Turkey), that unites the two women. But they are in different sides of this home.

Historic Opportunity for Armenians to Unite and Together Enable Armenia’s Future

This weekend, the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), one of the oldest non-profit organizations in the U.S. and the world’s largest Armenian organization, celebrates its 110th anniversary in New York City. Underscoring this milestone is the extraordinary opportunity to reshape the future of Armenia, and to reflect on how every one of us can contribute toward a stronger Armenia tomorrow.

Forbes magazine calls Alexis Ohanian “Mayor of the Internet” and has included him in its “30 Under 30” list as an important figure in the technology industry for two years in a row. He was featured as “Champion of Innovation” in Wired magazine in 2013. A fan of System of a Down, Alexis believes that the band’s best show so far has been the April 23 concert in Yerevan this year.

When Aline opened her first restaurant in Beirut she called it “Mayrig,” which means “mother” in Armenian, because she learned to cook from her mother. Today, Kamakian owns an international chain of Armenian restaurants. The walls are decorated with photos of Aline’s ancestors who miraculously escaped the Genocide, while the menu is full of traditional Western Armenian dishes.

David Nalbandian is one of the greatest Argentinian tennis players of all time and one of the most exceptional athletes in the history of the sport. Born a winner, he ranked in third place in the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, remained in the top ten of the rankings for five consecutive seasons and showed an indisputable love for his country when defending Argentina’s blue-and-white jersey in the Davis Cup.

Former world No. 3 and Argentina’s best tennis player on the good in landing a hand

David Yan is a man of many talents and unparalleled energy. Born in Yerevan in1968 to an Armenian mother and a Chinese father, in his lifetime he has already built a global high-tech empire (ABBYY), developed the first pocket computer for young people (Cybiko), created a new-generation management system for restaurants and hospitality services (iiko) and a mobile payments system (Platius), opened an art café and four other venues in Moscow, launched an educational foundation (Ayb), published a book (“Now I Eat All I Want!”), designed a home for his family, earned a Ph.D.

Armenians are an ancient nation whose sons and daughters have made quite an impact on the human history. Science, art, politics, finance – you’d be hard pressed to find a field, in which Armenian men and women don’t thrive. Their talents have made our world a much better place, so here are their names for the grateful descendants to remember!